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GENE SIMMONS' Zipper Comes to the ShelvesFrom: GeneSimmons.com Posted: November 27, 2007 Tom Waltz of IDW, writer of Children of the Grave, talks about working with Simmons to bring Zipper to life, how a military veteran ended up an IDW editor, and his future projects. Sequential Tart: How did GENE SIMMONS become involved in creating a comic property for IDW? Tom Waltz: I wasn't involved with the early talks with GENE SIMMONS regarding the Simmons Comics Group imprint, but my understanding is that IDW approached Gene about doing KISS comics, but KISS was already looking at Platinum Studios for that title. Instead, Gene mentioned he had plans to do his own imprint, comprised of his own non-KISS titles, and things moved forward from there. Again, this is my understanding. IDW Editor-in-Chief Chris Ryall would probably be the best person to get specific details from regarding the deal. ST: How involved is Gene in the planning of individual story lines? TW: Gene is very involved in a number of ways, most notably in character creation and design, as well as thematic and plot development. In a nutshell, Gene will give us detailed outlines of the story's main character, as well as some basic supporting character information. He also provides broad strokes as far as plot and theme are concerned, allowing the writers (such as myself) plenty of creative elbow room to expand upon what he has laid out. We simply provide Gene with our own ideas, and he will either approve them or offer his own suggestions for change that may (or may not) be influenced by our input. Once everything is approved, we move to scripting and artwork. It's in the art where Gene is meticulously involved, always careful to let us know exactly what he does and doesn't like in what our artists are presenting to him. I would describe Gene as predominately a visual comics creator, who has strong opinions about the "look" of his various comic book projects. One thing I can say for certain, this is not just something he is slapping his name on — Gene cares very much about his comics, and the comic book industry (and its long history) in general. ST: Can you talk a little about the comic and your plans for where it's going? TW: Even though Zipper is Gene's creation, I can honestly say that I've been involved enough in the development of the storyline, too (and many of the supporting characters), that I feel it's also my baby in many ways. As such, I'd like to see the series continue beyond the first 6-issue arc, but that's more a question of sales meeting expectations than anything else. As far as the main character and the story itself are concerned, I'd really like to have the opportunity to get Xeng Ral (aka Zipper) through his first adventure on Earth (which naturally contains much confusion and distress for the character in the all-new environment) and on to situations which will allow me to explore Xeng and the supporting cast even deeper so readers can learn more about their pasts, which in turn will (hopefully) strengthen reader interest in what the future holds for the book's cast. The story starts in Detroit, but I've no intention of keeping Xeng in Motown — it's a big world out there, after all. ST: Are there plans to resolve the situation with his homeworld or will this be more like an on-going story on Earth as Zipper moves among our people (sometimes violently) and learns more about this culture? TW: I don't see a resolution to the situation on Zipper's homeworld, at least not in the sense that I'll neatly tie up things by the end of the first arc. I'm approaching this much like the old Bill Bixby Hulk program on the television, where the main character is always running from his past to an uncertain future, and finding exciting (and sometimes bizarre) new adventures and people along the way. ST: How did the creative team come together? TW: Well, Chris Ryall asked me if I'd be interested in writing Zipper, and I told him I'd give it a shot. I put together a proposal that I sent to Gene (based on his notes, of course) and he asked for some modifications to a few ideas I had that didn't exactly fit with his vision for the book. I made those, resubmitted, and Gene gave me the green light to move forward to scripting. Well, it just so happened that my Children of the Grave partner, Casey Maloney, became available right around that time (he'd been drawing Star Trek: The Next Generation for IDW), and I asked him if he'd like to try out for Zipper. He said, yeah, and after a number of back and forth sessions with Gene, working to get the character design exactly where Gene wanted it, Casey was officially named the Zipper artist. We then approached Dusty Yee, a talented comics writer and colorist, who had worked with Casey on Digital Webbing Presents: Enigmas (a great friggin' comic book, by the way), to do the coloring duties, and he happily jumped on board. We've had Stacie Ponder, and now Marc Rueda, on inks, and I can say, at the risk of bragging, that it is one fine looking comic book. I know Gene is absolutely ecstatic about what the art team on Zipper is doing — he tells me all the time. ST: How did your job at IDW come about? TW: Blackmail, pure and simple — I had some good dirt on Ryall that I used to my advantage (Laughs). Actually, it started with me writing Zipper, then it progressed to me doing some freelance editing on the Simmons Comics Group line once IDW realized it was going to be a very time-consuming imprint, and eventually it lead to Ted Adams (IDW's awesome president) offering me an official gig as editor on his staff. I guess you could say it was a right place/right time thing in many ways, but I like to think it was my boyish good looks and awe-inspiring personality that won me the job. Or maybe they just wanted someone else to get beat up by GENE SIMMONS and I was just crazy enough to take on that challenge. Nah ... in the end, I think it was the blackmail thing — Ryall has a sordid past he wants kept under a tight lid, believe-you-me. Next time he doesn't give me a raise, I'm going straight to TMZ. ST: What other projects can we expect from you at IDW? TW: Well, I'm writing another Simmons Comics Group book called Indy — Race of the Galaxies, an all-ages romp set in outer space and featuring the greatest racers the galaxy has ever known. That should be released some time in 2008. Another book that I'm currently writing (and that I am totally stoked about) is IDW's newest entry into the Silent Hill canon, Silent Hill: Sinner's Reward. I've always wanted to write a Silent Hill comic, so to have this opportunity, especially working with the super-talented (and fellow SH freak) artist Steph Stamb, is an absolute joy for me. Also, IDW is re-releasing Children of the Grave in December, this time in full-color. That's the book that started it all for Casey Maloney and me, and I couldn't be more proud of the fact that it's seeing new life. And, I teamed up with artist and writer Nathan St John on an original graphic novel called Finding Peace, which IDW will release in May. It's a serious look at the social and personal effects civil war and peacekeeping have on both soldiers and civilians. ST: Can you tell us more about Finding Peace, as that sounds similar in spirit to Children of the Grave, which also centered on soldiers and showed the cost of war for them and the surrounding populations. TW: Finding Peace contains three stories, all connected by a single, tragic thread. Set in an unnamed country that has been ravaged by civil war, the stories are presented in reverse chronological order, first showing where things are, then finally depicting where things have been. It is up to the reader to ultimately decide if the situation has improved, or whether the dangers and the tragedies of civil war only wear a different mask during times of peacekeeping — a new disguise that simply hides the same, deadly monster underneath. I can't wait for the world to see the wonderful artwork Nathan did for that book. ST: Any other projects? TW: I have a short story coming out in GENE SIMMONS: House of Horrors #3 called "Chicken Warrior" with artist Ricardo Sanchez. I'm writing a superhero one-shot based upon my Mexican superheroine, BorderStar, with artist Ricardo Sanchez. I created BorderStar while working as a staff writer at Cyber Age Adventures Magazine ( ST: Are you and Casey planning to do other comics together? TW: Oh, heck yeah. I love working with Casey, and I'm pretty sure he likes working with me (even if I'm a crusty old guy that smells funny). Besides a Children of the Grave sequel, we still plan on completing our next major creator-owned mini-series in 2008, which is called The Last Fall. We don't have a publisher for that one yet, but I'm working on Chris Ryall every day to convince him to add it to IDW's slate. More blackmail is in order, methinks .... ST: I've not run into too many comic writers who are also military veterans, save for the infamous Micah Wright, who turned out to be a phony, which you're not. How does your experience as a veteran inform your work as a comic writer? TW: Obviously, I feel very comfortable writing military characters in military situations, and, naturally, many of my stories tend to lean in that direction. But, more than anything else, I think meeting so many different folks from so many different backgrounds as I did while serving has helped me to develop a strong sense of dialogue in my work, which in turn helps me to present more believable characters. I think having believable characters is a key ingredient to folks digging a story, so, in that sense, my military experience has been a boon creatively. ST: Would you like to do some war comics more? Or something completely non-military, like Zipper? TW: I like doing both. All that matters to me is that I care about the story and the characters, be it a military setting or otherwise. That's really as simple as motivation gets for me. Oh, money is always good, too. ST: What's been the best thing about a career as a comics creator? TW: The groupies? Wait ... that hasn't happened, so it can't be that. (Laughs) My favorite thing, by far, has been all the kick ass people I've met who either work in comics, or who love comics. From wonderful interviewers and reviewers (like the awesome Corrina Lawson!), to fellow creators, to the fans who support us with all their hearts and souls, my ride as a comics creator has been filled with fantastic folks from all walks of life who share an unconditional love for this art form (and it is an art form), and for that I'm eternally grateful. Best. Job. Ever. ST: What's been the worst experience? TW: I really try not to dwell on negatives in anything I do, but if I have to answer something like this, I'd say one thing that bothers me a lot are the flame wars and derogatory comments I always see on comics news sites' messages boards. First of all, I hate when people hide behind screen names — I just find that cowardly, especially the posters who are making malicious comments about creators or other comic book fans. If you don't have the cajones to back up your words with your real name, then keep it to yourself. There's nothing wrong with debate and constructive criticism, but if you're going to be negative just to be negative, then I feel you've got no place in this otherwise positive community that is the world of comic books. ST: What would be your dream assignment? TW: I'm a big Marvel fan, so I'd have to say there are two things that I'd love to do for them: an Ultimate Captain America mini-series, or a book based upon one of their second-tier characters, which I think would be a fantastic challenge. Oh, and I'd like to write Dark Horse's Ghost character, too. And, of course, anything Batman. ST: What comics are you reading right now and would recommend to others? TW: Well, I'm reading everything IDW does since I'm editing there, and my favorites right now are Zombies vs. Robots vs. Amazons by Ryall and Ashley Wood, all the Transformers stuff (especially Megatron: Origins), and anything Brian Lynch is writing in the Angel-verse (that dude can write). I think Sean Taylor is doing some great work on GENE SIMMONS' Dominatrix, too, and I hope his fine story doesn't elude readers who might think the book is a simple T&A fest (which it isn't). I just finished Annihilation Volume 1 from Marvel (loved it!) and am reading The Killer from Archaia Studios Press and I'm really enjoying it so far. I also just finished the Paul Jenkin's-penned Inhumans tpb from Marvel (another winner) and can't say enough good things about Jason Aaron's Scalped series at Vertigo. At least once a month I read Mark Millar's Wolverine: Enemy of the State tpb, which is probably my favorite superhero story, especially since it is drawn by one of my favorite comic book artists, John Romita, Jr. Another book that I adore that seems to have disappeared is Wildstorm's The Winter Men by Brett Lewis and John Paul Leon. If anyone knows the current status of this great series, please drop me a line. Oh, Psy-Comm by Jason Henderson is another one I dig. Man, I could list books all night, to be honest. My recommendation to readers is just keep reading comics! |
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